System and method for auto-execution of aircraft check lists

Abstract

A method of aircraft operation, the method comprising accepting a human pilot's selection of at least one checklist from among plural checklists stored in computer memory; and, responsive to the pilot's selection, using a processor for automatically performing all operations included in the individual checklist.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of aircraft operation, the method comprising:
 accepting a human pilots selection of at least one checklist from among plural checklists stored in computer memory; and 
 responsive to the pilot's selection, using a processor for automatically performing all operations included in said at least one checklist 
 wherein plural operations, for checking and setting aircraft systems, according to a flight phase, are automatically executed, thereby to define auto-execution; 
 wherein the order of auto-execution actions is optimized to reduce procedure time including parallel actions and wherein at least one new action starts before a previous action has ended; and 
 wherein said auto execution of an operation begins if a check, by the said processor, has determined that at least one logic pre-condition/s are satisfied; 
 wherein said checklist includes checklist auto-execution commands of each of the following action types: Type  1  actions—confirm system set up controls (avionics and non-avionics) are correctly set (if not manipulate controls, to the required set up defined by the checklist); Type  2  actions—confirm system indications (avionics and non-avionics) parameters are within tolerance; Type  3  actions—manipulate controls in non-avionics system to change non-avionics system's state; Type  4  actions—avionics system set up; 
 Type  5  actions—activation systems tests (avionics and non-avionics). 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1  wherein said accepting comprises providing a switch and associated switch logic that enable manual selection of at least one checklist from among said plural stored checklists. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1  wherein said plural checklists comprise normal checklists. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1  wherein said automatically performing comprises:
 providing at least one data bus providing at least one data interface, governed by at least one predetermined protocol, to at least one computer interfacing with at least one airborne electronically operated system; and 
 providing logic operative, responsive to the human selection, to perform said individual checklist including:
 generating commands, each of which are compatible with said at least one protocol and instructing said at least one computer to interface with said at least one airborne system in accordance with an operation from among said plural operations in said individual checklist; and 
 feeding said commands to said at least one computer via said at least one data interface. 
 
 
     
     
       5. An aircraft operation device (“AMC”), operative in conjunction with an aircraft having: avionics including avionic subsystems and a man machine interface (MMI), non-avionic systems, and a computer (ASC) operative to control the non-avionic systems, the aircraft operation device comprising:
 a checklist data repository operative to store, in computer memory, plural checklists including digital representations of at least one operation, wherein at least one of the plural checklists includes plural operations, some of which are to be performed in the aircraft's non-avionic systems, and others to be performed in the aircraft's avionic subsystems; 
 at least one data bus providing a first data interface, governed by a first predetermined protocol, to said ASC and a second data interface, governed by a second predetermined protocol to said avionics; and 
 logic operative to access said checklist data repository and, using a processor, to selectably perform at least one individual checklist from among said plural checklists including: 
 generating commands, at least some of which are compatible with said first protocol and instruct said ASC to interface with at least one non-avionic system from among said non-avionic systems in accordance with an operation from among said plural operations in said individual checklist and at least some of which are compatible with said second protocol and instruct said AMC to interface with at least one subsystem from among said avionic subsystems in accordance with an operation from among said plural operations in said individual checklist; and 
 feeding said commands compatible with said first protocol to said ASC via said first data interface and said commands compatible with said second protocol to said avionics via said second data interface 
 wherein plural operations, for checking and setting aircraft systems, according to a flight phase, are automatically executed, thereby to define auto-execution; wherein the order of auto-execution actions is optimized to reduce procedure time including parallel actions and wherein at least one new action starts before a previous action has ended; and 
 wherein said auto execution of an operation begins if a check, by the said processor, has determined that at least one logic pre-condition/s are satisfied; 
 wherein said checklist includes checklist auto-execution commands of each of the following action types: Type  1  actions—confirm system set up controls (avionics and non-avionics) are correctly set (if not manipulate controls, to the required set up defined by the checklist); Type  2  actions—confirm system indications (avionics and non-avionics) parameters are within tolerance; Type  3  actions—manipulate controls in non-avionics system to change non-avionics system's state; Type  4  actions—avionics system set up; Type  5  actions—activation systems tests (avionics and non-avionics). 
 
     
     
       6. The AMC according to  claim 5  wherein said at least one data bus also provides an interface between said logic and said MIMI and wherein said logic provides at least one multi-value signal to a pilot, via said MMI, wherein the signal's plural values respectively indicate at least some of the following statuses of at least one individual checklist: “completed entirely successfully”, “completed partially successfully”, and “failed”. 
     
     
       7. The AMC according to  claim 5  wherein at least one individual command from among said commands compatible with said first protocol, instructs said ASC to control at least one non-avionic system from among said non-avionic systems to carry out those of the plural operations performed in the aircraft's non-avionic systems and included in said at least one individual checklist which are to be carried out by said non-avionic systems. 
     
     
       8. The AMC according to  claim 5  wherein at least one individual command from among said commands compatible with said first protocol, instructs said ASC to check a desired setting of at least one non-avionic system from among said non-avionic systems. 
     
     
       9. The AMC according to  claim 5  wherein said operations which said avionics is instructed to perform comprise at least one of: operating an automatic pilot; and operating an automatic throttle. 
     
     
       10. The AMC according to  claim 5  wherein at least one individual command from among said commands compatible with said second protocol, instructs said AMC to control at least one avionic subsystem from among said avionic subsystems to carry out those of the plural operations performed in the aircraft's avionic subsystems and included in said at least one individual checklist which are to be carried out by said avionic subsystems. 
     
     
       11. The AMC according to  claim 5  wherein at least one individual command from among said commands compatible with said second protocol, instructs said AMC to check a desired setting of at least one avionic subsystem from among said avionic subsystems. 
     
     
       12. The AMC according to  claim 8  wherein said command which instructs said ASC to check also comprise logic, pending on a result of the check, which configures at least one subsequent operation in at least one of said plural checklists. 
     
     
       13. The AMC according to  claim 5 , further comprising a switch and associated switch logic that enable manual selection of at least one checklist from among said plural checklists. 
     
     
       14. The AMC according to  claim 5  wherein said first protocol and said second protocol are the same. 
     
     
       15. The AMC according to  claim 5  wherein performance of at least one checklist by said logic is triggered by a signal arriving from a ground station. 
     
     
       16. The AMC according to  claim 15  wherein the ground station receives from said logic, at least one status of at least one individual checklist. 
     
     
       17. The AMC according to  claim 5  wherein performance of at least one checklist by said logic is triggered manually by at least one pilot command conveyed via said interface between said logic and said MMI. 
     
     
       18. The AMC according to  claim 5  wherein performance of at least one checklist by said logic is triggered automatically responsive to electronically detected aircraft states. 
     
     
       19. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory tangible computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement an aircraft operation method comprising the following operations:
 accepting a human pilot's selection of at least one checklist from among plural stored checklists; and 
 responsive to the pilots selection, automatically performing all operations included in said individual checklist 
 wherein plural operations, for checking and setting aircraft systems, according to a flight phase, are automatically executed, thereby to define auto-execution; wherein the order of auto-execution actions is optimized to reduce procedure time including parallel actions and wherein at least one new action starts before a previous action has ended, and 
 wherein said auto execution of an operation begins if a check, by the said processor, has determined that at least one logic pre-condition/s are satisfied; 
 wherein said checklist includes checklist auto-execution commands of each of the following action types: Type  1  actions—confirm system set up controls (avionics and non-avionics) are correctly set (if not manipulate controls, to the required set up defined by the checklist); Type  2  actions—confirm system indications (avionics and non-avionics) parameters are within tolerance; Type  3  actions—manipulate controls in non-avionics system to change non-avionics system's state; Type  4  actions—avionics system set up; Type  5  actions—activation systems tests (avionics and non-avionics).